PUMPKINROT.COM: The Blog

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

In the wake of popular American interest in European Krampus traditions, few Pennsylvanians are aware that the commonwealth is the New World point of origin of an equally legendary and fearsome figure known to the Pennsylvania Dutch as the Belsnickel.

Although interpretations of the Belsnickel have varied considerably throughout Pennsylvania, many Berks County families remember a time when the tap-tap-tapping of the Belsnickel’s birch switches against the window was a foreshadowing to the children of what was to come. Clad in furs, smeared in soot, and waving a bundle of birch switches, the Belsnickel served as both bearer of gifts and the agent of punishment in the Pennsylvania Dutch Christmas tradition. The Belsnickel typically was masked and dressed in patched and tattered clothes, sometimes carrying a whip or crowned with horns.

Text source.

Tuesday, December 20, 2022

Weird Tales

Images by Stevie Gill.

Monday, December 19, 2022

Holiday Cocktail: Peppermint Schtick

Wanted to feature this cocktail by fellow haunter Revenant Manor. Originally left as a comment on an earlier blog post, it was too good not to feature.

He wrote...

The Peppermint Schtick

As a cocktail, it's absolutely seasonal, 100% ridiculous, and best of all, super easy to make:

- 1.0 oz vodka

- 0.5 oz vanilla vodka

- 1.5 oz half-and-half (or heavy cream, depending on preferred mouth feel)

- 0.5 oz peppermint schnapps

- 1 teaspoon simple syrup (or Festive Simple Syrup to take it up a level; see below)

- Mini candy cane or peppermint stick (whole and / or crushed as garnish)

Everything but the candy cane just gets thrown in a shaker with some ice, then poured over even more ice (preferably a Truly Massive Ice Ball, if available).

It can all come out even more festive with a few other simple preparations.

- Freeze several mini candy canes; crush to tiny bits to act as rim garnish

- Make Festive Simple Syrup in advance; combine 1/2 cup each water & sugar + 1 tsp. peppermint extract over medium heat until sugar is fully dissolved / incorporated

If you're feeling extra jolly and want something that looks like the holiday in a glass, dip the rim of a rocks glass in the Festive Simple Syrup, roll in peppermint bits to coat, then deposit a whole frozen mini cane into the glass to take the thing entirely over the top.

A couple of notes:

- If no vanilla vodka is available no one will call the Christmas police. Just increase the amount of regular vodka accordingly

- If no vanilla vodka is available, but the idea of vanilla sounds appealing, make the Festive Simple Syrup with vanilla extract instead of peppermint extract for a similar result

- This thing is pretty forgiving; I've made one with sweetened vanilla almond milk in the place of the cream / half-and-half (and then skipped the simple syrup) and got perfectly acceptable results

These suckers are boozy little calorie bombs, but a fun change of pace drink that 100% look the part of a holiday cocktail without requiring a degree in mixology.

Happy holidays!